Photo courtesy of Chris Vaughana
Besides hiking, golf, cycling, kayaking, horseback riding, hot springs and all the other distractions this valley has to offer, fly-fishing can be a very relaxing way to spend your day. Yes, rivers are still running on the high side, but all of them are now dropping and clearing. Even if you’ve never fished the Roaring Fork Valley, there are a bunch of great places to explore and wild trout to meet out there during the summer months. If you are visiting and don’t have any gear, most fly shops from Glenwood Springs to Aspen offer rental gear as well as top-notch guide services to maximize your time on our rivers, streams and lakes.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to where and when to go, as you can choose between intimate small streams, high country lakes, world-famous gold medal waters, or floating the big rivers in a dory or raft. Any shop in the valley would love the opportunity to spread out a map on the counter and show you their favorite haunts, including what to use and how to fish the flies they recommend. Finding great water is easy here, getting a license for the day or the week is even easier.
If solitude and wild cutthroats or brook trout are your speed, be sure to check out the upper Fryingpan, high country lakes, or Rocky Fork Creek while here in the valley. If it’s all about dry-fly hatches and gold medal water, this is the time to be on the Fryingpan with a few pale morning duns, caddis and blue-winged olives in your fly box. Most of us shop types love to float the bigger sections of the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers, and we are finally shaping back up and starting to float this week!
Even if you have never fly-fished, with the right advice and/or guide you can have a blast on our rivers and lakes. Bring along some sunscreen, a few flies, and take in the gorgeous scenery we love to call home. You won’t regret it!
This column is provided by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374.